The present invention relates to a banknote handling machine, and more specifically to a machine that includes an infeed part for receiving banknotes that are posted from outside the machine and including detector means for checking the whether the banknotes are genuine or not, and the quality and denomination of said banknotes.
In a further development of the invention, the banknote handling machine also includes an outfeed part for dispensing banknotes from a banknote storage means in response to an order given through the medium of an externally located banknote ordering means.
Dual-purpose automatic apparatus for dispensing and depositing banknotes are known to the art; c.f. U.S. Pat. No. 4,447,714 in this respect. It is also known to provide detection means for checking deposited banknotes; c.f. European Patent Specification 0.213.094 in this respect. These and similar automatic apparatus have been found to function reasonably well in practice, although they have their limitations with respect to greater freedom in the flow of banknotes, i.e. as opposed to shutting off excessively large volumes of banknotes in one and the same place (costs interest), the ability to replenish an automatic cash dispenser or automatic telling machine with banknotes during the daytime without opening the security box, and enhanced security with respect to the transportation of any surplus banknotes from one place to another place where a banknote deficiency exists.
The object of the present invention is to provide banknote handling machines that fulfil these requirements and desiderata and which generally simplify and make less expensive the flow of banknotes in the community, for instance by reducing the need of quality sorting, banknote authenticity checks and the need to count said banknotes prior to destruction (the National Central Bank). Another advantage is that banknotes handled through the novel machine can be circulated in the community without needing to be recounted when a bundle of banknotes in a disposable cassette changes owner.
The inventive banknote handling machine includes an infeed part for receiving externally posted banknotes. For the purpose of checking the genuineness and denominational value of posted banknotes the machine includes detector means for sorting false banknotes and banknotes of poor quality from other (accepted) banknotes. A processor unit controls the transport of banknotes of poor quality through the machine, along a transport path to a banknote packaging unit in which these banknotes are stored in a cassette means.
In a further development of the invention, the banknote handling machine also includes an outfeed part for dispensing banknotes from storage devices in response to an order entered externally through the medium of banknote ordering means. The processor unit controls the transportation of genuine and accepted banknotes directly to storage means in the dispenser part of the machine and only secondarily to storage means in the infeed part of said machine. Alternatively, the processor unit transports banknotes from storage means in the infeed part of the machine to storage means in the outfeed or dispensing part of said machine on the basis of the number of banknotes contained in this latter storage means.
These and other characteristic features of the invention will be apparent from the accompanying Claims.